Food and Drink

August 14, 2011

The midsummer season is bursting with amazing fresh blueberries! Blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, blueberry crumbles – all of these are terrifically delicious but no friend to those who try to walk on the light side. Sure, blueberries can always be added to yogurt or thrown into a smoothie, but sometimes the craving calls for CARBS.

Below is a recipe for low fat blueberry scones that I found on Weight Watchers.com* that answers the blueberry + carb siren song with little diet damage. I tinkered with the ingredients without altering the calorie count and kicked-up the flavor by swapping-out honey for maple syrup and adding a bit of fresh lemon zest. I also added a few tips for creating a more tender scone.

These freeze well and are fabulous toasted. Add a side of fruit and a glass of milk (or a small piece of cheese. CHEESE!) and it is a very satisfying, scrumptious, low-guilt breakfast.

January 23, 2011

In a town that’s lousy with wine bars (some excellent, many blah) it is with great joy that I welcome the Little Cheese Pub in Chelsea, where serious fromage is being served every which way imaginable.

Got a hankering for mac & cheese? Over at the cozy Little Cheese Pub there are at least six varieties to choose from, with Dutch Kaas (aged gouda) mac & cheese with a beer pretzel topping being the one that made me swoon.

How about grilled cheese? You won’t go wrong with the grilled cheese made with Vermont cheddar served with a crunchy house-made pickle.

What if you just want straight-up CHEESE? Here’s where the Alpine-leaning menu shines, with carefully selected artisanal cheese choices, many of the deliciously raw variety. For example, among the 30+ cheeses listed is a hard-to-find Consider Bardwell raw goat’s milk cheese – clearly the folks at Little Cheese Pub know their stuff.

But it does point up the fact that there truly is a personal touch at work here and most everything at Little Cheese Pub is house-made: the pasta for the mac & cheese, the pickles and the delectable desserts - cheese cake with vodka-brined cranberries anyone?

At the moment they are waiting for their liquor license to be approved (expected by the end of this month). In the meantime you are welcome to bring in your own bottle to enjoy, with no corkage fee! And when that liquor license does kick-in it will unleash a wide selection of craft beers and reasonably priced quality wines.

But don’t wait for the beer to arrive – Little Cheese Pub is ready, willing and able to meet your cheese needs right now!

P.S. – kids are welcome (high chairs are available).

Little Cheese Pub: 362 1/2 West 23rd St. between 8th & 9th Aves (Chelsea); 646-863-7291; www.littlecheesepub.comOpen for dinner every day & brunch on weekends until 3:30pm.

November 08, 2010

Planning a visit to NYC any time soon? Do you live here and going to the U.N. has always been on your to-do list? Want to expand your belly and your knowledge of world affairs at the same time? Then make a reservation to have lunch at the United Nations Delegate’s Dining Room. Yes it’s true, they will grant access to the likes of you (and me) – as long as you behave.

Really, it’s open to the public?

It is indeed, but you have to plan and make sure you have the time to spend – this will be a long lunch (and not so leisurely). You must make a reservation by calling 212-963-7626, no walk-ins allowed. The best time to do this is when the dining room opens at 11:30 a.m. Otherwise you will have to leave a message with your reservation request and then call back to confirm. Don’t expect them to call you back. It’s the U.N. – they’re busy!

What’s the best reservation slot to request?

The Delegate’s Dining Room is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday – I recommend you make the reservation for 11:30 a.m. Don’t worry, it only seems early. By the time you actually sit down to eat you’ll be well into the lunch hour.

Why? Why so long for lunch?

Here’s the thing – it’s the U.N.! There are several security hoops to jump through before you actually get to the door of the dining room, so you have to make time for that. There is also a massive renovation project underway at the 55-year-old United Nations, so there are many detours.

Once you make it past the first three checkpoints – yes, three - and turn over your I.D. (to be retrieved on your way out), you are handed a badge to wear around your neck and then you are directed back outside of the main lobby. From there you must walk down some stairs and across a walkway along the river for about three city-blocks. Enter the Secretariat Annex, go through another security check point, go up a flight of stairs, go through yet another security checkpoint and finally – FINALLY! You have reached the entrance to the Delegate’s Dining Room.

At this point about 30 minutes had elapsed since we arrived at the U.N. “You really have to want it”, my dining companion said.

Enter the doors of the dining room and check-in with the host. If things are running smoothly you will be seated upon arrival. However by the time we got there the line was long and we had to wait another 15 minutes or so before we were seated, bringing the entire door-to-dine time to 45 minutes. Ugh. Bring your walking shoes!

Is it fancy?

Remember yourself, it’s the U.N.! Proper attire is required, which means jackets for men and no jeans, shorts, sneakers or flip- flops. Represent your country and look respectable.

The room is looking its age, but there are comfy chairs, white tablecloths, jacketed waiters to bring your beverages and floor-to-ceiling windows with spectacular views of the East River. It’s a bit like an executive corporate dining room – but with a sweet view.

What’s on the menu?An international buffet is offered, with a different country featured on any given day. “Seoul Food” was the bill of fare on the day I dined there, which featured an array of authentic and delicious Korean dishes and a dessert bar. I ate acorn jelly! Go with an open mind and palate and you will be satisfied.

How much is it?

The meal cost us about $20 each, which included tax and tip. Beverages are extra.

Would you go back?

Hmm, I have to think about that for a minute. It was a lot of effort to get there and the dining room, aside from the sweeping view, was pretty generic. The food was fine but not life changing. And things were a little chaotic at the maître d' desk. However, it’s not every day that one gets to go inside the United Nations and I would happily accompany a friend who’d like to check it out for the first time, so there you go. Yes, I would go back.

And what did Marie Fromage prepare for her on-camera demo? Something cheesy, of course!

I presented a recipe for “Easy Breezy Cheesy Cocktail Quesadillas”. Check it out (click here if you can't view the video below)and see the recipe details below. Wish me luck. Let there be cheese!

Recipe: Easy Breezy Cheesy Cocktail Quesadillas

Yield: 4 wedges per quesadilla

This recipe is great for company because it’s quick on prep time and goes great with wine. There aren’t a lot of ingredients* to this dish, but each ingredient is a flavor powerhouse on it’s own and a little goes a long way. Put it all together and it’s a tasty flavor explosion!

February 28, 2010

When the
temperature is hovering at around 15°outside and snow is piled all around, no one in their right
mind would venture outside if they didn’t have to. Grand plans to run errands get shafted in favor of staying
wrapped-up in the Snuggie and watching back-to-back episodes of “Law &
Order”.

It’s also
the perfect time to make some chicken stock.

Liquid
love. Jewish Penicillin. The
culinary mother ship, the source all savory delights. Any stock, but chicken
stock in particular, is the culinary building block for great cuisine found in
the best restaurants around the world.

Make this
and you can once and for all do without the canned or boxed high-sodium stuff
from the supermarket.

What
makes a good stock? No special
tricks or skills really, just a pile of bones. You need bones to make a proper
stock. A great way to have a bunch
of bones on hand is to save the carcass (gross word, but that’s what it is) of
the picked-over roast chicken you got at the supermarket and freeze it. If you
make your own roast chicken, save the bones from that too along with the
neck. When you get a large storage
bag or two filled-up up with bones you’ll have enough to make a good stock.

Ingredients:

Chicken
bones – bones left over from about 3-4 roast chickens should do it.Cold
water1 yellow
onion, peeled and cut in half1 large
carrot, peeled and roughly chopped1 celery
stalk, cleaned and roughly chopped1-2
cloves of garlic, peeled and crushedA few
sprigs of fresh thymeA bay
leafA bunch
of parsley stemsLeek
greens (if you have any handy; optional)A pinch
of whole black peppercornsNO SALT
(it’s best to keep the stock neutral and add the salt to-taste within the
context of a recipe)

The
How-To:Place the
bones into a large pot and cover with cold water.Bring to
a boil and skim off the foam that comes to the surface.Reduce to
a simmer and add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, parsley stems,
leek greens and black peppercorns. Let it simmer for about 2 hours, frequently
skimming off the foam and fat that floats to the top.

Place a
clean pot into a sink filled with ice water. Pour the stock through a strainer lined with cheesecloth
into the pot. Discard the solids. Stir the stock rapidly until it cools
down. Once cool, remove it from
the sink and place in the fridge and let it cool completely overnight. A layer of fat will form on the surface
– just remove and discard it and voilà, you’ve got stock!

So
I’ve made a huge pot of chicken stock.
Now what?Portion
out the stock into 1 cup containers and freeze to use as-needed. Also, pour some into ice cube trays and
freeze. Once frozen, empty the cubes into storage bags and stash in the
freezer. Then grab and go!

Stock
suggestions:

* Use as
a base for countless soups. In
this photo I’ve added a pinch of salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste, a
squeeze of lemon and a heaping mound of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Mmmmmm….

January 18, 2010

For
starters, it’s pronounced “crack”, an Irish term that means crazy fun times
with friends. Well this here is some good times in a bowl meant to be shared,
and it’s pretty addictive too, hence the name.

Trust me,
you want this for your Super Bowl party. It’s easy to whip up, more or
less. You can do it the gourmet
way (yes you can) or the quick way (if you must) – see my recipe below. Enjoy some good craic!

Add
kernels and oil to a 3 qt. pot and stir to coat the kernels with oil. Place a tight-fitting lid on the pot
and heat over a medium flame.
Shake, shake, shake the pot vigorously until kernels start to pop and keep
shaking until it sounds like most of it has popped. This will take about 5 minutes, more or less.

Add to
bowl of pretzels and combine.

** 4)
Roasted Nuts

Quick Way: buy a can of
roasted, unsalted nutsGourmet
Way: Roast your
own.Heat oven
to 350°F. Place raw
nuts on baking sheet in one layer and roast for 10minutesor until browned and
fragrant.

Add to
bowl of pretzels and popcorn and combine.

*** 5)Caramel

Quick Way: unwrap a 14
oz. package of caramels. Place
caramels into a microwaveable bowl and heat on high for 3 minutes or until
caramels are melted, stirring after each minute.Gourmet
Way: make your
own (adapted from “Barefoot Contessa”)1/2 cup
sugar1/4 cup
light corn syrup1/4 cup
water1 cup
heavy cream5 Tbs
unsalted butter1 tsp sea
saltAdd the
cream, butter, and sea salt to a small pot and bring to a simmer. Once butter
has melted stir to combine, remove from heat and place a lid over the pot to
keep it warm. Set aside.In a deep
pot combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Bring mixture to a boil over medium flame and continue to
cook until the sugar turns to a golden color. Swirl the mixture, don’t stir,
and stay close as it can go from gorgeous golden to burned brown quickly.

Once the
sugar mixture turns golden, slowly add the cream mixture (note that it will
bubble-up vigorously). Add the vanilla and combine.

Add a
candy thermometer to the pot and cook the caramel until it reaches just a bit
beyond 248°F (the “firm ball” stage).Once the
caramel has cooked to the firm ball stage, slowly and carefully pour it over
the pretzel-popcorn-nut mixture in a large bowl (add the bacon bits now if
using). Carefully toss like a salad to combine.

Spread
everything onto the prepared baking sheet and press into one layer.

****
6)Semi-Sweet
Chocolate & White Chocolate

Start
with the semi-sweet chocolate.
Break the chocolate into pieces and melt the chocolate in a
microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring between each
interval until chocolate is completely melted. Then, using a fork, drizzle the chocolate all over the
pretzel-popcorn-caramel mixture.

Repeat
same process with the white chocolate.

Place
baking sheet with mixture into fridge and let cool for about 30 minutes. Once cooled, break into pieces and
serve!

January 11, 2010

Happy New
Year! Cheese is busting out all over – have you noticed? It seems like cheese is on the tip of
everyone’s tongue lately.

Here’s a round
up of all of the action to get your new year off to a properly cheesy start!

Something Stinky This
Way Come: Drunken Goat

No, it’s
not the smelly old bar fly sitting next to you at the pub. This is a Spanish, semi-firm goat’s
milk cheese that is soaked in a vat of red wine for a couple of days before its
aged. The end result is sweet, creamy and mildly gamey with faint grape notes
and a purple rind. Simply delicious.

Cheese
Master MartinMartin
Johnson’s Joy of Cheese has announced the new dates for his tastings around town. January’s
cheese has the blues (in a good way), February will be all about the Brits and
will feature a fresh new venue - The Clerkenwell on the Lower East Side!

Get a
cheese recommendation of the day - friend the Joy of Cheese fan page on
Facebook.

Martha
Stewart Cheese Show

Cheese is
such a hot topic that Martha Stewart recently had a great show that covered
American artisanal cheese makers, how to put together a cheese plate, how to
make your own goat cheese, fondue, everything you ever wanted to know about
cheese and more!

* Cheezghetti.
“It looks like spagetti but is really provolone cheese!” Pairs well with beer or apple juice, in case you were wondering.

* Because
what you really want is a frosty mug of cheese.“We want consumers to be more familiar
with cheese, so we’ve made a liquid version that makes it more accessible. It’s
also good as a salad dressing.”

It’s like
a Brie or Camembert but with a twist!
Think slightly tangy buttery richness. This is a sheep’s milk cheese that gets better the longer
you let it sit on the counter. I mean just look at this thing, oozing goodness
all over the place. It’s made in small batches with lots of care from the folks
up at 3-Corner Field Farm in the Hudson Valley. How can you get your hands on some? Stop by their stand at the Union Square
Market or order it directly from their web site. 3-Corner
Field Farm: www.dairysheepfarm.com

A
Glass of Wine, A Piece of Cheese and Thou: GottinoIt’s
raining, it’s cold. You just want
a glass of wine and a little something to take the edge off of the dreary day,
sans attitude and scene. Gottino fits the bill with that and more - a wine bar
with a dead-serious chef at the helm so the small plates pack a creative
favor punch. Think cozy
Italian farmhouse that stops short of being too precious and instead settles
into a warm and sophisticated tasty zone.

And oh
boy, the cheese. If it’s on the
menu when you’re there, try Quadrello di Bufala (a washed-rind cheese made with
buffalo milk) paired with a little taste of wild honey or funky but amazing
Nettle Meadow Kunik (a bloomy rind mix of goat and Jersey cow milk) paired with
black cherries.

You can
take your mother there, you can take your lover there. You can even spend an afternoon there
on your own and be perfectly content. I recommend all three, with a side of
formaggio.

The New
York Times reported last week that Murray’s Cheese, the New York City cheese
institution, will be opening 50 mini-shops within Kroger Supermarkets around
the country. Why this is good: if it’s going to be set up like
I think it will be set up, taste buds around the nation are about to be treated
to fromage of all stripes, fresh as can be and sliced to order. Why this is bad: word in cheese circles has it
that Murray’s is getting a little too big, trying to have exclusivity over some
of the smaller cheese producers which makes it hard for the little cheese shop
in your neighborhood to get in on the action. Which sort-of makes Murray’s the Walmart of cheese. Good cheese, but still. I love you Murray’s, but there really
isn’t enough cheese to go around, so save some room for the little guy.

Cheesy Reader: Culture Magazine

There’s a
fantastic new glossy to be found on newsstands and in cheese shops around town, “Culture Magazine”, which is devoted exclusively to cheese eaters. Get the word on what’s hot in the world
of fromage, tips on the cheese plate, cheesy movers & shakers, as well as a
centerfold to hang over your bed and drool over.www.culturecheesemag.com

October 25, 2009

Take a
sparkling fall day, add a well-produced food event and there will be smiles all
around.

The New
Amsterdam Market was launched in 2005 near the downtown municipal buildings as
an addition to the great urban market experience. It’s currently located under the FDR, next to the South
Street Seaport in front of the old Fulton Fish Market. Goodbye overwhelming fish stench, hello
artisanal cheese stink!

You may
ask, “How is this different from the Union Square Market or other neighborhood
markets for that matter? Why would
I want to head all the way downtown and brave the tourist crush of South Street
Seaport?” Here’s why: most vendors
at Union Square Market are regional farmers bringing their wares to the urban
masses. The New Amsterdam Market
features more regional food producers and purveyors than farmers. Think cheese makers AND sellers (Saxelby Cheesemogers),
butchers, pickle makers (Brooklyn Brine Co.), bakers (Sullivan Street Bakery), fish purveyors (Luke's Lobster) and small specialty restaurants (Porchetta) to name a few.

First
order of business – a restorative plate of freshly shucked oysters on the half
shell from Seaport-area restaurant Stella.

Narragansett
Creamery, based in Providence, RI had an outrageously delicious whole milk
ricotta and they are in search of NYC retail opportunities.

The stall
for hip Brooklyn butcher Marlow & Daughters was mobbed (yes, that's right, I said "hip". Butchers are currently rock stars in these parts). Word was out about their deeply satisfying
grass-fed beef chili.

Sadly the
New Amsterdam Market isn’t open every weekend and it was only this year that it
started to become a once-a-month event (the next one is Nov. 22). If it becomes more popular it will step
up to a more frequent schedule, so go!

New
Amsterdam Market, when open, is located South Street between Beekman Street and
Peck Slip On the East River waterfront in Lower Manhattan. For more information visit their web
site: www.newamsterdammarket.org